(If you count pre-school, kindergarten, elementary, high school, college, and post-bacc.)
So… yesterday was my first day of class. As you can imagine, I was nervous! I didn’t know anyone, and had no idea what to expect. But… it was amazing. And exciting! And inspiring! My professors are all fascinating, accomplished social workers with a lot of experience and wonderful stories. My fellow students, too, have wide-ranging backgrounds and I think we’re going to have a really interesting time together.
I’m taking 5 classes, and have 21 hours of field work a week (you need 1200 “field hours” working in different social work agencies to complete your MSW), so it’s going to be intense. I have a LOT of reading and writing, and want to start the semester with a good foundation in terms of organization. Which is why Saturday night found me hunched over journal articles (which I can download onto my iPad!) scribbling notes. But it was fun
My schedule’s a little crazy- there are some days I’ll be out of the house from 7 AM – 10 PM. It’s hard to plan and pack meals and snacks for that long! I made another meal plan this week, and even if I don’t stick to it exactly, it takes a little of the guesswork out of trying to figure out what to eat when my eyelids are drooping and I’m just staring aimlessly into the fridge.
I’m on my second- and final- week of the Conscious Cleanse, and I’m still feeling really good! My stomach “issue” flared back up again for a couple days last week, but it’s passed once again. (Pre-cleanse, I can’t recall a single day without it.) I went to see my GI last week, and after asking a lot of questions about my habits, food intake, and general health, she’s scheduling me for two procedures: an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. (When you have ongoing tummy troubles, you kind of get used to talking about it and it’s not so embarrassing!) I’m not exactly looking forward to the procedures themselves, but I do really want to figure out what’s up. The doctor thought it was telling that the problem initially went away when I eliminated gluten, but it could be a variety of other things as well. She did, however, say it was VERY IMPORTANT to eat a small amount of gluten every day, like a slice of bread (I’ve been eating a serving of Kashi’s whole wheat pita chips), so there will be enough gluten in my colon for the test to pick up.
Anyway, back to the (anti-) cleanse! I’ve learned a lot of great recipes- that don’t take a lot of time to make- that I’ll definitely be keeping in regular rotation. I’ve also loved starting most mornings with a green smoothie. We don’t have a blender- although I would love a Vitamix, I’ve heard this one is a great (cheaper) alternative- so I’ve been making everything in the food processor. Seriously, that thing gets worked out at least twice a day! Anyway, the green smoothies are a nice way to get colorful nutrients in in the morning, and it sets a nice tone for the day. This one had romaine, mango, cilantro, banana and water.
I’ve been making a great Niçoise salad based on a recipe from the handbook. I’d like to say I’m pretty good at coming up with salad ideas on my own, but this one has a really fantastic dressing that riffs on my old mustard/oil/vinegar standby. (Hint: add herbs!)
B and I are both in love with their recipe for raw broccoli soup. It requires almost no work and no crazy ingredients. It was incredibly creamy, and will fool anyone! B thought it was loaded with dairy.
The cauliflower mashers are a nice comfort food. The base is a mix of cauliflower and cashews, the topping a “gravy” made almost exclusively from mushrooms. While it’s meant to be prepared raw, I steamed the cauliflower a little to make it a little more B-happy and feel more like a dinner suitable for a Breaking Bad marathon on a cozy night in.
Although I still have a week left on the Conscious Cleanse (I started late), the formal event ended this past Sunday. As a thank-you, and to encourage new members, they’re offering $25 off new members here. If you do sign up, please let me know and tell me how you like it!
Off to study! Hope your week is off to a great start.
